Smile Like You Mean It

by S. J. McCoy

  ~ ~ ~

  Renée handed the change to the last customer in what had been a long line. It had been crazy for the last hour, and it was only seven o’clock. She smiled at April. “It isn’t always like this, I promise. That’s just the Monday morning rush.” She turned at the sound of the phone ringing in the back. Oh no, that was more than likely a large order being called in ahead for lunchtime. “Come on,” she said to April. “You should probably hear this to get the hang of the order slips.

  She rushed into the back with April on her heels and pulled the order pad toward her as she put the phone on speaker and hit answer. “Good morning, Summer Lake Bakery, how can I help you?”

  “Good morning, beautiful lady. I just needed to call to tell you that I love you, and I miss you so much it hurts. Especially in my pants.”

  Renée laughed out loud and looked at April who was already heading for the door. “Sorry. I guess this is one order you don’t need to listen in on.”

  Once April had closed the door behind her, Renée turned back to the phone. “Good morning, angel Gabriel. You just introduced yourself to my new coworker.”

  She had to laugh at Gabe’s groan. “Ugh. Sorry.”

  “No problem. You brightened my morning, but I’m not sure what you did for April’s. I just told her to be ready to take notes so we could get the order ready.”

  Gabe laughed. “If I give you an order, will you take down everything I say?”

  Renée laughed with him. He was in a playful mood this morning, it seemed. “I will. What do you want?”

  “You.”

  She picked up the handset. “And what do you want me to take down?”

  “Panties?”

  She laughed. “I’d have a cold ass by the time you got here to do anything about it.”

  “Not too cold. I’m almost done here. I reckon I can get back Wednesday night. Would you be able to come get me from the airport? Or should I pick up another car?”

  “I thought the point of you leaving the car with me was so that I can come get you.”

  “It was, but those flights usually don’t get until late. I don’t want to make you miss out on a night’s sleep.”

  “Gabe, I can catch up on sleep in the afternoon. I want to see you as soon as you can get here.”

  April popped her head around the door with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I mashed up the cash register again and I can’t give the customer his change.”

  Renée nodded. “I’ll be right out. Gabe, I have to go.”

  “Okay, I just wanted to hear your voice. I’ll call you as soon as I get a flight booked. I love you.”

  “Love you too, bye.”

  Renée hurried back out into the store and started jabbing at the temperamental cash register. Once the customer had gone she turned to April, feeling a little embarrassed now. “Sorry about that. Gabe’s never called on the bakery line before.”

  April smiled. “You don’t have a thing to be sorry for. In fact I’d think you should be very happy. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a guy call you like that. It’s so romantic!”

  Renée laughed. “I’d hardly call Gabe a romantic.”

  “Really? How many women do you think have ever gotten a phone call like that? I know I never have.”

  “Oh.” Now she thought about it, Renée never had either, until she met Gabe. “I guess you’re right. It’s just I don’t think of him that way.”

  April gave her a puzzled look. “Well, forgive me for saying, but I’d start thinking about him that way if I were you. You have no idea how lucky you are. Most women, me included, would give anything for a man to love her like he obviously loves you. I was married for ten years and it was horrible. I used to read romance novels and dream about what it would be like to be with a man like that. Only I thought that kind of love only happened in novels. It seems like it happens in real life around here, from the stories I’ve heard, so make the most of it.”

  Renée nodded. “I will. Thank you. I was married for a long time, too. It was…” she thought about it. It wasn’t as horrible as she thought April was talking about, or at least she hadn’t known it was for the longest time. “It wasn’t good, let’s put it that way.”

  April smiled at her. “And now you’ve found something great, so make the most of it. Appreciate it and live it well. Give me some hope that I might follow in your footsteps and by some miracle find something good of my own someday.”

  “Oh, you will. I know you will.”

  “I doubt it, but by the looks of it at least I’ll be able to live vicariously through you and your Gabe.”

  Renée smiled. “That may be giving me more responsibility for your happiness than I’m comfortable with. I think I’d sooner help you find a man of your own and put you in charge of your own destiny.”

  April shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m nowhere near ready to even start looking. And honestly, I’ve never been in charge of my own destiny in my entire adult life. I think that’s enough to deal with for now without trying to add a man into the mix.”

  “I can see that, but give it time.”

  “I intend to.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what happened with you?”

  April shrugged. “I don’t mind, but I don’t know where to start either. I reckon it’ll all come out over time since we’re working together.”

  “That’s true.” Renée looked up at the sound of doorbell and caught her breath at the sight of Chance.

  “Hi,” said April.

  “Hey, I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

  She smiled. “I’m getting the hang of it. Renée’s teaching me well.”

  He turned his gaze on Renée and nodded at her. She nodded back, feeling slightly ridiculous, as if they were a pair of cowboys in some old saloon. She didn’t feel as though they were squaring up for a shootout though. Their encounter at the cemetery had changed everything between them.

  “I wanted to see how you’re doing, too.”

  Wow! “I’m okay. Thank you. How about you?”

  He nodded. “Better than I’ve been in a long time. Thank you.”

  This was weird. They were doing so much more than just exchanging pleasantries. They’d crossed a pretty big bridge out at the cemetery, and Chance’s presence here suggested that he now wanted to do some rebuilding, too. “Do you know how long you’re going to be staying?”

  He shrugged. “I might stick around a while.”

  Renée took a deep breath and decided to risk it. “Gabe’s due back Wednesday night. I know he’d love to see you.”

  Chance nodded. “It’d be good to see him, too.”

  Well, that was a start. “Do you want to maybe get together on Thursday after I get done here?”

  He nodded slowly. “I don’t want to come out to your place though.”

  “God, no! I mean, I get that.” She didn’t want him to come out there either. For so many reasons. She wouldn’t want to inflict all those memories on him, nor did she want him to see how rundown the place was.

  “How about I meet you both here? What time do you close up?”

  “Two thirty.”

  “I guess I’ll see you then.” He turned and left. Leaving Renée staring after him and April staring at her.

  “I gathered at lunch the other day that there was some history between the two of you that wasn’t public knowledge. Forgive me, but now I’m even more intrigued.”

  Renée nodded, the history between us is pretty much the story of both our lives. “I wouldn’t know where or how to start.”

  “And you don’t have to, but if you want to...well,” she looked around, “I’m here.”

  “I think, as you said, since you’re working here, it’ll all come out over time.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Renée had to admit that she was grateful for the use of the rental car when she pulled up behind the bakery the next morning. As the week had worn on she was finding it more and more difficult to dr
ag herself out of bed when the alarm went off. She couldn’t wait to pick Gabe up from the airport tonight, but she was concerned she might struggle even more tomorrow. This morning she’d gone so far as to hit the snooze button. Those extra few minutes had been wonderful, but nowhere near enough. And it had left her rushing madly to make it down here on time. As it was, April was already here.

  “Good morning,” she called as Renée let herself in through the back door. “I let myself in and I’ve got the ovens warming.”

  “Thanks. I’m sorry I’m late.”

  “You’re on time, not late. I arrived a couple of minutes early. And besides, I need to get the hang of things so I’m ready to do it by myself. You must be desperate for a lie in. The sooner you can turn me loose to open up and take the early shift, the better.”

  Renée stifle a yawn. “I must admit, it’ll be nice to have a couple of mornings a week when I can sleep in a little. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately, but I feel wiped out all the time.”

  “It’s hardly surprising. I’m exhausted, and I’ve only been doing this a week.”

  “Well, it’ll get better for both of us once we can work out a roster. We can’t do that until you know the ropes though, so come on. We’d best get to it.”

  By eleven o’clock it seemed the mid-morning lull had finally arrived. Renée went in the back to make them both coffee.

  “Thanks,” said April, when she handed her one. She took a sip and then smiled as she stared out the window. Renée was pleased that she was already looking more relaxed than she had when they’d first met at the Boathouse last week.

  “How’s your son settling in?” she asked. “It’s Marcus, isn’t it?”

  April nodded. “He’s doing really well, thanks. I was so scared when we left. I didn’t know if his father would try to find us, come after us, or what Marcus would make of it all, how he’d cope. The other night, when I put him to bed, he thanked me for moving him away from there.” She smiled. “It was just what I needed to hear, to know that I’d done the right thing for him, as well as for me.”

  Renée had to wonder how taking a child away from his father without telling him where you were going could be the right the thing.

  April sighed and met her gaze. “That must sound horrible, but if you knew Guy, you’d understand. He made my life hell—and Marcus’s, too.” She hesitated, obviously battling with herself over how much to say. “When I married him, I gave up my independence, my freedom, and any say I might have had over my own life.”

  Renée thought about that. “You know, much as I didn’t recognize it at the time, it was the same for me with Eric. He made all our decisions, talked me out of any ideas he didn’t agree with. I guess he was very good at manipulating. I had no clue what he was up to for years. If it was left to me, I probably still wouldn’t know to this day what he was really up to, what he was really like.”

  “How did it all come out?”

  “The first thing I knew was when investigators turned up at the office. They seized all the computers and carted Eric away. I was in a state of shock for the first few weeks. I had no idea what to do. I thought it must all be a big a mistake. But learning what he’d been up to, what he’d bought, the places he’d traveled to, the gifts he’d bought for women…” She shook her head to clear it of the memories. “I had to accept it. And then, when they did the Forfeiture of Assets thing, I had no choice but to figure out what to do. I needed a place to live and an income.”

  “That must have been so tough.”

  She looked at April. “It sounds like you’ve been through tougher times yourself.”

  April shrugged. “What matters is that we lived to tell the tale. We both came out stronger and wiser and we will never ever let a man take control over our lives again, right?”

  Renée nodded. “Right.” She was glad that April had a positive outlook. It was good to hear her sound strong and decisive. She just hoped she herself wasn’t missing something when it came to her and Gabe. He was great, he couldn’t be more different from Eric, he was a straight shooter, and honest to a fault. But he did like to be in control. Wherever their relationship was going, she wanted to make sure that she didn’t somehow lose her independence and freedom in the process. Her biggest concern was that she didn’t know what her life would look like yet, and she wanted to be able to figure that out independently and not mold it around what might suit Gabe.

  She smiled when she realized April was watching her closely.

  “Your Gabe isn’t like that.”

  She laughed it off. “Oh, I know.” He wasn’t. It wasn’t Gabe she was worried about, it was herself. She realized now that she’d spent her life downplaying what she wanted in order to do what she thought was best for other people, what she thought they needed. She couldn’t do that with Gabe—not if she wanted their relationship to work.

  ~ ~ ~

  Gabe grinned to himself as he parked a block down from the bakery. He’d told Renée that he’d be back tonight, and she was planning to come pick him up. But he’d had a stroke of luck last night when he’d been talking to one of his long-time clients. The guy had been heading out to his LA office this morning and had offered Gabe a ride in his company jet. It had been a much quicker and more comfortable journey than a commercial flight would have been and had given Gabe time to do something he’d been thinking about doing. He’d taken a taxi from the airport straight to the Auto-Mall and bought himself a brand new Range Rover. Even having done that, he’d made it back to the lake just in time to catch Renée as she finished work.

  He peered in through the window; she was chatting with April as they wiped down the counters. She was so beautiful. It’d only been a few days since he left, but he’d missed her so much. April spotted him and smiled. Renée turned to follow her gaze. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she ran to the door.

  Coming outside she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled her against him and kissed her back. He only lifted his head when he heard the doorbell tinkle. April looked a little embarrassed as she smiled at them.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Renée pulled away from him. “Sorry, April. I…”

  “Sorry nothing! I’ll see you in the morning.” She hurried off down the street.

  Gabe pulled Renée back to him.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked. “I was about to set off to pick you up.”

  “I couldn’t stay away any longer, I got lucky and managed to hitch a ride this morning.”

  “Hitch a ride?” She raised an inquiring eyebrow.

  He shrugged. “A friend’s plane.”

  “Ah.” She looked put out somehow.

  “What’s up? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

  “Oh, Gabe I am. Just a bit surprised.” She looked around. “And how did you get from the airport?”

  He grinned and dangled the keys in front of her face. “Lock up and come with me, there’s something I want to show you.”

  Her reaction wasn’t exactly what he’d hoped for when she saw the Range Rover. “So you just bought yourself a new one, huh?”

  He nodded. “Yep, I thought you might like it.”

  “I do.” She turned to look at him. “How do we return the rental car?”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  She scowled at him. “I’m not a charity case, Gabe.”

  He slid his arms around her middle and planted a peck on her lips. “I know. You tell me often enough. Do you think you can maybe try to accept that I love you? And that I want to take care of you?”

  Her face relaxed, and she smiled up at him. “I’m sorry. I love you, too. I’m so glad you’re back, and I do like your new car. I think I’m just a bit worn out.”

  He nodded. She did look tired. “Then let’s just go home and relax. And knowing how beat you are, I’m really glad I didn’t make you come to the airport to get me.”

  She nodded. “Me, too. Just let me lo
ck up; you can go ahead if you want. I’ll bring your rental car.”

  The way she phrased it bothered him. Your rental car. He let it go. Maybe he was just being too wary, or she was extra sensitive because she was tired. Either way, he didn’t question why she phrased it like that. “Okay. I’ll see you there.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Renée was getting more and more agitated as two thirty approached. Gabe had been pleased to hear that she’d arranged for them to meet Chance for lunch. He was eager to catch up with his old friend, and she knew that it was important to him that she and Chance should come to terms with the past as best they could. She’d thought it was a good idea herself, but now the hour was fast approaching she was starting to wonder why. The three of them had led such very different lives since high school. The more she thought about it now, the more she realized that the only thing they really had in common was Chloe. And Chloe was dead! That hardly made for light lunch conversation, did it?

  She jumped when April put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m just a little nervous about this lunch with Chance.”

  “I’m guessing I shouldn’t ask why?”

  Renée realized that even with all the talking and getting to know each other they’d done as they worked together this last week, April still didn’t know her history with Chance. “No, it’s fine. You know we all grew up together.”

  “I gathered that much.”

  “Well, Chance and my sister dated for years, from middle school all the way through high school.”

  “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  Renée nodded sadly. “She’s dead.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry.”

  “That’s all right. You didn’t know. In fact, not many people do know, apart from those who grew up here, of course. Chloe died in an accident after she and Chance had had a fight. I’ve always blamed myself, Chance has always blamed himself. Up until last week neither of us realized that the other didn’t see it that way. I wanted Chance to forgive me, he wanted to me to forgive him.” She shrugged. “Does that even make any sense?”